Don't Feed the Trolls

[SamanthaBehgs]

Interesting that this showed up in my inbox today given the recent conversation about this: https://www.psypost.org/the-psychology-of-a-troll-may-start-with-a-specific-type-of-envy/

I would add another limitation to this study, however. This is looking at folks willing to self-report trolling behavior and therefore who have insight into the types of behaviors in which they engage. I believe this would only be a subset of those who might be labelled as "trolls" online. I also agree that narcissism is too often treated as a single concept and that greater understanding of its nuance would greatly improve public disucssions, but that's a different topic entirely.

 

[MrPixel]

I was wracking my brain for wordplay on "trolls", but I decided better of it. It would be a bridge too far.

 

[cw5523729]

Interesting that this showed up in my inbox today given the recent conversation about this: https://www.psypost.org/the-psychology-of-a-troll-may-start-with-a-specific-type-of-envy/

I would add another limitation to this study, however. This is looking at folks willing to self-report trolling behavior and therefore who have insight into the types of behaviors in which they engage. I believe this would only be a subset of those who might be labelled as "trolls" online. I also agree that narcissism is too often treated as a single concept and that greater understanding of its nuance would greatly improve public disucssions, but that's a different topic entirely.

Hey, us trolls have to eat too, you know.

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

Hey, us trolls have to eat too, you know.

I'll give you some parfait. You can be an ogre instead.

 

[cw5523729]

I'll give you some parfait. You can be an ogre instead.

I do love me a good parfait. Totally worth it to live under a bridge for one.

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

I do love me a good parfait. Totally worth it to live under a bridge for one.

See?! No one ever says "Hell no, I don't want no parfait!"

 

[StillStunned]

I was wracking my brain for wordplay on "trolls", but I decided better of it. It would be a bridge too far.

Troll puns really get my goat.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Another limitation of that is how we define trolling.
Often at this site "trolling" is just a code word for, "you are saying things I don't like."
Some people just can't handle any level of disagreement.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Troll puns really get my goat.

Gruff, very gruff.

 

[MrPixel]

Often at this site "trolling" is just a code word for, "you are saying things I don't like."

I think the "trolling" we're referring to at the moment are the five- or six-word potshots posted like a machine gun just to rile the troops. Forum version of Tourette Syndrome coprolalia.

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

Another limitation of that is how we define trolling.
Often at this site "trolling" is just a code word for, "you are saying things I don't like."
Some people just can't handle any level of disagreement.

I think there is a form of disagreement that falls definitely in the troll camp and others that fall troll adjacent while, yes, some people view anyone disagreeing as a troll (and that's not unique to this site).

Knowing the nature of this research, I would highly doubt that they had included "disagreeing with others online" as part of their trolling questionnaire and would look more at "disagreeing with others online for the purpose of upsetting them" instead. That being said - it does require that someone knows why they are engaging in a particular action. What do they get out of it? This requires a level of insight that not all have.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I think there is a form of disagreement that falls definitely in the troll camp and others that fall troll adjacent while, yes, some people view anyone disagreeing as a troll (and that's not unique to this site).

Knowing the nature of this research, I would highly doubt that they had included "disagreeing with others online" as part of their trolling questionnaire and would look more at "disagreeing with others online for the purpose of upsetting them" instead. That being said - it does require that someone knows why they are engaging in a particular action. What do they get out of it? This requires a level of insight that not all have.

I'm more focusing on how this research will be applied by the hoi polloi around here rather than the actual research.

Similar to the way Dunning/Kruger is completely bastardized on the internet.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I think there is a form of disagreement that falls definitely in the troll camp and others that fall troll adjacent while, yes, some people view anyone disagreeing as a troll (and that's not unique to this site).

Knowing the nature of this research, I would highly doubt that they had included "disagreeing with others online" as part of their trolling questionnaire and would look more at "disagreeing with others online for the purpose of upsetting them" instead. That being said - it does require that someone knows why they are engaging in a particular action. What do they get out of it? This requires a level of insight that not all have.

I would be interested in a follow on study on people that feel it their duty to battle the trolls.

 

[IWroteThis]

Another limitation of that is how we define trolling.

This is especially true when the troll is the one posting the story. Even if they add a note at the top clearly stating they are posting it specifically to annoy (troll) that category's readers, there are some who will still refuse to acknowledge it.

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

I'm more focusing on how this research will be applied by the hoi polloi around here rather than the actual research.

Similar to the way Dunning/Kruger is completely bastardized on the internet.

I understand that is your concern, but I am also asking you to have a level of insight. You and I have never had such an interaction and you know me to be one who discusses the research as is without over-extending its reach (I would hope). I have also on multiple occassions admitted when proven wrong and have worked to expand my knowledge in cases where I simply do not know. My motivation for sharing this post was not, as you would put it, to apply this research in any way other than to share why stepping back from behavior that one views as trolling may be beneficial to all involved.

I'm also very familiar with how research is misapplied in pop culture. It's part of why science education is so important. But what is the function of taking a thread that talks about the actual science and making it about past frustrations with nebulous others? This motivation is espsecially interesting since those nebulous others are not the OP on the thread (who even within the thread tried to remove the label of "troll" from one who seemed to be claiming it for simply disagreeing with others regularly through the playful offer of parfait). If you find me to be a troll or place me within that group of "some people" - I would ask that you do so directly, whether in public or via PM. It would benefit our conversations greatly to know that I had made such an impression.

I hear your frustration coming through loud and clear, but I would disagree on how to alleviate it. I think the most beneficial course for all involved is to consider how the research can and cannot be applied and the interesting follow up questions it brings. That cannot be done if folks are driven off by conversation ending hostility instead, no matter how justified it feels.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

This is especially true when the troll is the one posting the story. Even if they add a note at the top clearly stating they are posting it specifically to annoy (troll) that category's readers, there are some who will still refuse to acknowledge it.

I've never understood the people who write a story to antagonize the LW crowd. Makes zero sense to me.

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

This is especially true when the troll is the one posting the story. Even if they add a note at the top clearly stating they are posting it specifically to annoy (troll) that category's readers, there are some who will still refuse to acknowledge it.

Okay, as a new author, this is something new to me. We have troll stories here on lit? Like actual published stories with the intent to troll a group of readers/category?

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

I would be interested in a follow on study on people that feel it their duty to battle the trolls.

This would be fascinating. Maybe by us talking about it here, it will show up in my inbox tommorrow. Though if it does, them I'm going to have to seriously distrust the use of an incognito browser even more than I already do.

 

[cw5523729]

I've never understood the people who write a story to antagonize the LW crowd. Makes zero sense to me.

I had considered doing exactly that at one point because I'm a troublemaker and like getting people fired up.

But in the end, I remember that writing stories is a lot of work and I try to avoid that as much as possible. So laziness won out. Story of my life.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I understand that is your concern, but I am also asking you to have a level of insight. You and I have never had such an interaction and you know me to be one who discusses the research as is without over-extending its reach (I would hope). I have also on multiple occassions admitted when proven wrong and have worked to expand my knowledge in cases where I simply do not know. My motivation for sharing this post was not, as you would put it, to apply this research in any way other than to share why stepping back from behavior that one views as trolling may be beneficial to all involved.

I'm also very familiar with how research is misapplied in pop culture. It's part of why science education is so important. But what is the function of taking a thread that talks about the actual science and making it about past frustrations with nebulous others? This motivation is espsecially interesting since those nebulous others are not the OP on the thread (who even within the thread tried to remove the label of "troll" from one who seemed to be claiming it for simply disagreeing with others regularly through the playful offer of parfait). If you find me to be a troll or place me within that group of "some people" - I would ask that you do so directly, whether in public or via PM. It would benefit our conversations greatly to know that I had made such an impression.

I hear your frustration coming through loud and clear, but I would disagree on how to alleviate it. I think the most beneficial course for all involved is to consider how the research can and cannot be applied and the interesting follow up questions it brings. That cannot be done if folks are driven off by conversation ending hostility instead, no matter how justified it feels.

I'm not sure how you "feel my frustration" when I'm not actually frustrated.
I find the type of behavior that results in people running and hiding while screaming "troll" amusing, and to be honest kind of sad.

I'm remarking on the inevitable consequences of posting an article like this one here. I think that has some relevance to the topic at hand.

Digging into it a little deeper, it's difficult to try and psycho-analyze people via questionnaires, particularly when it's a self sorting process.
I've got a couple of friends who consider themselves serious shit posters, and they'd probably have a field day gaming the system if the opportunity to take a survey like that crossed their paths.

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

My apology in advance. I'm not ignoring anyone here but nearly forgot an appointment and had to rush out mid-conversation. I'll be back to chat when I'm done assuming I don't end up having to sleep it off (it's 50/50 these days) in which case I'll be back tomorrow.

 

[Actingup]

Thanks for sharing the article. I’m just pasting the citation and abstract below for info - it’s linked from the article but I’m not sure that everyone commenting in the thread has found it yet.

Brown, M. A., & Toyama, M. (2025). Inside the link between narcissism and social media trolling: the involvement of malicious envy and exposure to antisocial media content. Behaviour & Information Technology, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2025.2547922

ABSTRACT​

Considering negative psychological and other consequences of trolling on social media, the present study addressed the link between narcissism and social media trolling and its potential mediators, including malicious and benign envy and exposure to antisocial media content. Participants were recruited via an online crowdsourcing platform, Prolific, and 326 (aged 39.4 [SD = 12.4]; 48% male, 50% female, 2% non-binary or non-disclosed gender) completed our online questionnaire without attention-check failures. Our mediation analyses (controlling for covariates) indicated that malicious envy mediated the links of narcissism to social media trolling and to exposure to antisocial media content. In addition, exposure to antisocial media content also served as an additional mediator, as narcissism was linked to social media trolling indirectly through malicious envy and then exposure to antisocial media content. Narcissism predicted social media trolling directly, even after additionally controlling for the two mediators that were also directly linked to the trolling outcome. These findings provide practical implications, highlighting the importance of addressing the identified antecedents of social media trolling, and indicate future research directions to investigate additional associated factors and explore and develop approaches and interventions to reduce trolling on social media.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Okay, as a new author, this is something new to me. We have troll stories here on lit? Like actual published stories with the intent to troll a group of readers/category?

Yes. There are authors who proudly tell us they're writing stories to deliberately stir the outrage, mostly in the Loving Wives category. One of many reasons to do some homework before you post content there.

Seems like a pointless exercise to me, like shooting fish in a barrel, but some folk seem get their jollies from it. It's odd behaviour.

 

[TheLobster]

Another limitation of that is how we define trolling.

However we do it, we should steer clear of painting it as any derailment of a conversation or thread.

Because if we went with that, then this forum would consist of nothing but trolls

 

[SimonDoom]

Another limitation of that is how we define trolling.
Often at this site "trolling" is just a code word for, "you are saying things I don't like."
Some people just can't handle any level of disagreement.

Very true.

Even if what you say is obnoxious to some, or to many, it's not trolling if you genuinely believe it and have at least some basis for saying it.